Yesterday’s work marked the complete connection of all the confinement edge on the northeast edge of the perimeter where crews have been using low-intensity backing fire to put a backstop in place for the main fire to burn into. This complex strategy was carried out by helicopters, hand crews and hotshot crews with varying winds and hot temperatures. As the burn continues to develop in the coming days, it will not only result in more secure fire line, but it will also reduce hazardous fuels and improve forest health. “Progress for us comes through fighting this fire aggressively while providing for firefighter safety”, said Incident Commander, Brook Chadwick. “Now that we’ve burned some of the most dangerous terrain of this fire under our terms, containment will be quicker and safer”, he added.

The interior of the fire contains large pockets of unburned fuel that will continue to burn for several days. Today’s weather forecast calls for some erratic winds in the intersecting river drainages on the eastern edge of the fire so crews will be patrolling for spot fires and using helicopters to keep intensity in check. The weekend will be a critical few days for more accelerated containment work.

Many roads are still open around the fire area, but closures are still in place on Forest Roads 042 and 043 including Indian Creek. The Tie Fork Road and the 032 Road are also still closed. Fire managers are evaluating the closures daily to determine when roads will be safe for travel.